Teddy, Teddy, Teddy
by Anrheithwyr
Summary: He is Teddy, Teddy, Teddy...no matter what anyone else says. Regardless of teachers and grandmothers and anyone else. He is the son of Remus and Nymphadora Tonks. He is Teddy.


_**A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or anything relating to it. I do not own the name Edward. Any recognisable characters are not mine. Most OCs ARE mine and if you ever want to use them, please, just ask permission. Unless they're so obscure, it's pointless to even bring them up. Those, you can have by the dozens. **_

_**Also, on the Wiki page for Ted Tonks, it never says his name is short for something, but I assumed it was. He didn't strike me as a Theodore, so I've renamed him Edward. (insert non-commital shrug here.) Anyway, peace. Happy (belated) Easter. **_

A name is very important to a child. It is their entire world, their name and age. It is how they define themselves and others. The first thing a child will tell you is "My name is Mary-Sue Jenkins and I am 4 years old." They'll want to know how old you are. They'll want to admire your obvious oldness. ("You're thirty-one? Wow, you're _so _old!") One thing you do not want to do with a child is tell them their name is wrong. Their entire _identity _is wrong.

"Lake, Alicia?" the teacher asks, smiling down at a little dark-skinned girl with her hair in tight braids, tied with colourful bows. _Lake, Alicia_ nods, quietly says,  
"Here, ma'am." accepts herself and her own identity. She has spent her entire almost six years as Alicia, too ready to announce "Here I am!" Ms. Mancheski nods and walks off, clipboard in hand as she marches primly to the next desk.

There is a boy with bright green hair and inquisitive brown eyes, scribbling out child-like words on his 'Welcome to School!' packet. He seems oblivious to the teacher, who stands very tall over him. A wave of giggles washes over the room.

"Lupin, Edward?" Ms. Mancheski asks the boy, her smile maybe just a little more forced. This is not her first year of teaching the littlest children and she understands some children are very shy. However, this does not mean she accepts this kind of behavior. She would have to send a note home about the hair.

He does not respond, instead choosing a bright orange crayon from his box, colouring in hair in what appeared to be a pretty woman.

"Lupin, Edward?" she repeats, tapping her foot. Again, high-pitched giggles, but no response from Lupin.

"Mr. Lupin, do you hear me?" Ms. Mancheski asks, bending down so that she is eye to eye with the little boy. She had gotten through twenty students already. One quiet one wouldn't stop her. Couldn't stop her.

He, finally, looks up at her, forehead scrunched up in confusion. He's five years old (five years, four months, two weeks, and three days to be exact) and this is his first day of any form of schooling.

"I don't know who Mr. Lupin is, ma'am, but he must not be here if he won't answer," says the little boy calmly. The class collaspes into laughter, twenty voices grinning loudly.

The teacher calls for silence then takes the boy into the hall. He follows, still confused, wondering what he's done wrong.

"Mr. Lupin-" she begins, but he is already shaking his head.

"I'm _Teddy_," he informs her, arms crossed. His mind will not be changed. He has gone for five years, four months, two weeks, and three days as _Teddy _and one little name on a clipboard won't change that. "My gran calls me Teddy, Harry calls me Teddy, Aunt Ginny and Aunt Hermione calls me Teddy. I'm _Teddy._"

Ms. Mancheski nods, resigned. She knew she had to have at least one rebellious student. She could just add this on to the note home to the parents, explaining the situation. Juliet Mancheski did _not _do nicknames.

"Teddy? Interesting. I always thought that was short for Theodore." she says almost to herself. Looking him up and down, she decides he doesn't _look _like a Theodore. Or an Edward, to be honest. Perhaps she would do nicknames. Just once. Or, maybe _not_.

"I am Teddy. Teddy Teddy Teddy the first," he says, then, as if to say the conversation was _over, _he marches back to the classroom door, stops to wait for her.

"Yes, well, in my class, you are Edward Remus Lupin. If you want to be called Teddy, your parents can come up on Saturday to discuss this with me." Ms. Mancheski replies, leading him away from the door. Stubborn children were eventually straightened out.

"Teddy. I am _Teddy, Teddy, Teddy!_" he yells, finally tired of correcting the naïve teacher.

In return, he learned his new name between smacks on the bottom.

"So how was school today, Teddy?" Andromeda asks, opening up a can of noodles, smiling at her grandson.

"Not Teddy," he mumbles back, taking off his backpack and pulling out a note.

Andromeda gives him a shocked look. Teddy had always been Teddy, for five years, four months, two weeks and three days, as he had so lovingly reminded her this morning. What had happened at school to change that?

"And why aren't we Teddy anymore?"

"Ms. Mancheski says I am Edward Remus Lupin. I don't want to be Edward Remus Lupin. I want to be Teddy, Teddy, Teddy."

She smiles softly at him, holding out arms. He tips into them, hugging her. She bends over, whispers in his ear.

"You _are _Teddy, Teddy, Teddy." He grins back, then runs off to go telephone Harry, who has probably been waiting eagerly by his mobile for it to ring. Honestly, sometimes Andromeda couldn't tell the difference between the five year old and the twenty-three year old.

As she reads the note from his backpack, her forehead scrunches up. She's never met a teacher like this, so stubborn. It was a _name, _for Merlin's sake! A _child's _name!

In the background, she hears Teddy loudly explaining all about how to make the letter _**A**_. She smiles to herself, tucking the note back into his bag. She'll deal with his teacher. Just for now, she'll let him be Teddy, Teddy, Teddy.

_**So, Teddy is (say it with me) five years, four months, two weeks, and three days old. This makes his birthday on April 23. (in Lana Land) This can not be proven, but I like the date. I have always imagined Teddy being very confused being called some other name than TEDDY. He probably rarely hears his last name. And this teacher insists that suddenly, he is (and always has been) Edward Remus Lupin. Wouldn't you be confused?**_

_**The plot kind of comes from the idea that when I started Kinder, I had spent my entire life being called Nanner. (Yeah...) Then, my teacher calls me, **insists **even, that I am (insert real name here). I politely corrected her and she took me out of class to tell me I am wrong. Now, you never want to do that to a child. I, less politely, told her that I was Nanner and nothing she said could change that. One trip to the Principal's office later, I was rechristened (insert real name here). **_

_**Also, this is NOT the end of Edward Remus Lupin vs. Ms. Mancheski. **_


End file.
